Two Buddha statues just took their country’s name anew to the Asian Records Organization on March 2. The Maitreya Buddha statue in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang and the Buddha Entering Nirvana statue in the central coastal province of Binh Thuan have been named as the largest Buddha statues in Asia. Located on Cam Moun, the statue of Maitreya Buddha stands 33.6 meters high from the base to the top. Its pedestal measures around 27 square meters. Made of reinforced concrete, the statue is estimated to weigh nearly 1,700 tons. Built between 2004-2006, the statue features the special smile and belly of Maitreya Buddha. Its popularity helped draw numbers of tourists to the region.

Equally impressive in size, the Buddha Entering Nirvana statue at The Linh Son Truong Tho temple on Ta Cu Mountain is uniquely crafted in the lying position, with the back against the cliff. It was designed by architect Truong Dinh Y and was built from reinforced concrete from 1963 to 1966. Its length of 49 meters was meant to symbolize the 49 years since the Buddha attained enlightenment until he entered Nirvana. From the base to top, it measures 11 meters. The statue is recorded as the longest Buddha statue in the country and greatly contributed in the pagoda’s popularity to tourists.

The two statues were presented by the Vietnamese delegation during the Asian record festival on February 27, and indeed was given due recognition. Later this April, the Asia Record Organization’s representatives will make a field trip to Nui Cam (Tinh Bien district, An Giang) and Ta Cu (Ham Thuan Nam district, Binh Thuan province) to examine the two statues and award the Asian record certificates.